Basic electricity 2

Magnets Introduction

In this topic, you will learn about magnets and their properties.

Magnetism
Magnetism is a vital component for creating electricity.

There are two types of magnets, permanent and temporary. A permanent magnet never loses its
magnetism, unless it is physically damaged. A temporary magnet is only magnetized while an
outside force is causing it to keep its magnetism. As soon as that outside force is gone, the
magnet loses most of its magnetism. There will be a slight magnetism remaining in the temporary
magnet after current has been removed. This is referred to as residual magnetism. To better
understand the principles involved, you must first understand the Domain Theory.

Domain Theory
Ferromagnetic materials such as iron, cobalt, and nickel are made up of domains, each containing
a group of atoms aligned to their electron flow. When these domains are in their natural random
pattern, their alignments conflict with one another and keep the ferrous material non-magnetic.

Temporary Magnets

Watch the video.

A temporary magnet is created when a ferrous material is brought into a magnetic field. Bringing
the material into a magnetic field causes its domains to align, creating a north and south pole. As
the material is taken out of the magnetic field, the domains return to a random state.

Click on the graphic where indicated to see this principle illustrated.

Permanent Magnets
A permanent magnet, also known as a ferromagnet because of its iron oxides and other metal
content, maintains its magnetic field with no outside force.

Magnetic Fields/Lines of Flux

A magnet is surrounded by a magnetic field made up of magnetic lines of force, or lines of flux. The
lines of flux exit the north pole of the magnet and enter the south pole. The magnetic field is
strongest at the two poles (where the lines of flux are concentrated) and are equal in magnetic
concentration.
The stronger the magnet, the more lines of flux it will have and vice versa. The number of flux lines
in a magnetic field is referred to as flux density.

Current Flow

Watch the video.

Current flow through a conductor, a wire in this case, creates a magnetic field around the
conductor. If we could see the magnetic field, it would look like circular flux lines around the
conductor, as shown to the left. As current flow increases, the magnetic field around the conductor
becomes stronger. When the magnetic field becomes stronger, more flux lines are produced.

Click on the graphic where indicated to see this principle .

Right-Hand Rule

To determine the direction of the lines of flux encircling a wire, hold the wire in your right hand with
your thumb pointing in the direction of the current flow. The right hand rule assumes that
conventional current flow theory is used to determine the direction of current flow. Since current
flows from positive to negative potentials, your thumb should point toward the negative end of the
wire. Your fingers now point in the direction of the flux.

When several conductors are lined up side-by-side – or one conductor is coiled to create this same
effect (as with the coil of a solenoid) – and current is run through them, the directions of their flux
lines oppose each other. But flux lines cannot occupy the same space when they are traveling in
opposite directions, so they will take a path around the conductors.